Edward G. Willer

Edward G. Willer is a Chicago personal injury lawyer and represents individuals and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases in the areas of construction negligence, product liability, premises liability, and vehicular negligence.  

As a Partner at the Chicago law firm of Corboy & Demetrio, Mr. Willer has obtained nearly $270 million in verdicts and settlements, including: a $14.5 million settlement in 2024 for the driver of a pickup truck struck by a truck in a zone that was slower/stopped due to a construction zone, a $13.5 million settlement in 2023 for the family of a worker who was crushed to death at a scrapyard, and a $6.57 million settlement in 2022 for a machine operator whose leg was mangled by an unguarded coil slitting machine.

In 2021, Mr. Willer secured a $10 million settlement for a worker who was seriously injured after falling from a ladder in a case that he successfully argued before the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts. Also, in 2021, he garnered a $4.25 million settlement for a 74-year-old security guard in downstate Illinois who was injured after falling from a trailer. 

Mr. Willer obtained a $7.5 million settlement in a federal court case for the family of a laborer who fell off of a balcony and eventually died.  In another case, Mr. Willer obtained a $7.6 million verdict, after a 14-day jury trial, awarded to his client for injuries he suffered as a result of a construction site accident.  

Mr. Willer secured a $6 million settlement for the death of a worker in an oil refinery explosion in another a case that he successfully argued before the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts.  He obtained a $4.5 million construction site wrongful death settlement for the family of a union laborer who was killed when crushed by a backhoe truck.

In a strict product liability action, Mr. Willer obtained a $5 million settlement for a Morris maintenance technician for injuries he suffered on the job when he was caught between an automated guided vehicle and a stationary rack.

In a vehicular action, Mr. Willer obtained a $4.75 million settlement for a young woman who was seriously injured when her car was broadsided by an ambulance as she drove home from work. At the time of the collision, the ambulance driver was inappropriately using the siren and ambulance lights for a non-emergency patient.

Mr. Willer has traveled the world investigating and preparing his cases. In Japan, he investigated and conducted discovery depositions of design engineers for a lawsuit involving the manufacturer of an all-purpose lighter by a Japanese company. In order to fully research another case, he traveled to Germany to investigate the design and manufacturing process of a strapping machine and conveyor system. 

He joined the Chicago law firm of Corboy & Demetrio in 1994 after having practiced with the preeminent law firm of Leonard M. Ring & Associates. He graduated in 1973 from DePaul University College of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and the International Moot Court Team.

Recognized as one of the top 5% of all Illinois attorneys by the Leading Lawyers Network, Mr. Willer also has an AV rating - the highest possible rating for any lawyer - from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

In 2024, Edward was selected by Crain's Chicago Business to the highly selective Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law.

Mr. Willer has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America since 2023 in the area of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.

Since 2013, he has been selected to Illinois Super Lawyers in the area of personal injury litigation. Since 2021, Mr. Willer has been selected to Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, and in 2024, he was selected to the elite Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, the top 500 attorneys nationwide out of all practice areas. Since 2021, Mr. Willer has been named to the National Trial Lawyers Civil - Plaintiff Top 100.

A member of many legal and civic organizations, Mr. Willer served for nearly two decades on the Circuit Court Committee of the Chicago Bar Association and is also a member of the Product Liability Committee.  Mr. Willer has also served on the Illinois Character and Fitness Committee since 2012.  In 2023, he was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the Court's Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board.

Honors

Crain's Chicago Business 2024 Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law

The Best Lawyers in America

AV rated - Highest level awarded for professional excellence - Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory

Leading Lawyers Network Member - Top 5% of all Illinois attorneys

IL Super Lawyers - Top 5% of all Illinois attorneys

Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America

Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers - Civil Plaintiff - Top 100 

Professional Affiliations

American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly known as Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Stalwarts Committee, 1999-2023; Hall of Fame Committee, 2000-2023

American Bar Association (ABA)

Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Circuit Court Committee, 1990-2023; Civil Practice Committee, 1991-2023

Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Committee on Product General Liability and Consumer Law, Vice Chair; Section on Tort and Insurance Practice, 1989-1990

Illinois Supreme Court Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board, Member, 2023

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Product Liability Committee, 1998-present

Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness, Commissioner, 2012-2023

Pound Civil Justice Institute, Fellow

Society of Trial Lawyers, 2013-present

Community Involvement

Knights of Columbus, Registered Agent, Charities, Inc.

Successes

Practice Areas

Speaking Engagements and Presentations

• "Precautionary Measures to Take When You Expect a Difficult Deposition," AAJ Annual Convention, Stalwarts Program, 2018 
• "Mandatory v.  Court-Ordered Mediation," AAJ Annual Convention Stalwarts Program,  2017
• "High Impact, Low Cost - The Effective Use of In-House Technology to Prepare and Present Your Case: The Use of Standard, Off the Shelf Products to Impress Jurors and Win Cases," Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 2005
• "The Effective Use of Technology," Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, 2005
• "Product Liability Update," Illinois State Bar Association, 2002

• IICLE, Chapter 5, Rule 214 ( 2001)                                                                                                    "Product Liability," Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2000

Education

DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 1973

DePaul University, B.A., 1970

Bar & Court Admissions

• Illinois, 1973
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1973
• U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, 1992